The United States produced two stunning rides to secure the women’s team pursuit title at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Track World Championships here today.

14.806, with their effort seeing them advance to a gold medal ride against Canada, who had defeated New

bounced back with a national record time of 4:16.350 against China to qualify for a medal ride against New

Zealand, with Australia missing out on the podium, after only managing the fifth fastest first round

Barker, Ciara Horne and Joanna Roswell-Shand were able the claim the bronze after comfortably beating New

Zealand in 4:16.350, a faster time than the United States had posted to win gold.A controlled effort

Sailors Richard Dodson, Andrew May and Chris Sharp have been named as the first members of New Zealand

will bring vast experience to the team, with the 57-year-old having been the on-board strategist for New

“It is a real honour to be selected to represent New Zealand at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games in Para-sailing

“It is fantastic to announce our first selections,” said Fiona Allan, Paralympics New Zealand chief

Zealand is thrilled to have Para-sailors as part of the New Zealand Paralympic Team in Rio.”     

The team received a further boost after Paralympics New Zealand announced that shipping companies Maersk

The brand-new International Netball Super Series tournament has been officially launched by SANZEA,

with the inaugural edition set to take place in New Zealand and Australia in August.

competition will feature four of world netball’s top teams - 2015 World Cup winners Australia, England, New

Zealand and South Africa.It comes as a result of a ground-breaking partnership between the countries

medallists Australia face South Africa.The tournament will then continue four days later in Hamilton when New

Zealand play the South Africans, while Australia and England, bronze medallists at last year’s World

Zealand and Australia; starting with the first ever International Netball Super Series.”

Australia set a national record to beat hosts Britain in a thrilling final of the men’s team pursuit at the International Cycling Union (UCI) Track World Championships here today.

had been one of the most eagerly anticipated contests ahead of the Championships, with Australia, New

Zealand and reigning Olympic champions Britain all standing a strong chance of topping the podium.New

challengers Canada in 4:16.180.They will meet Australia in the first round and Canada are now due to take on New

Investec will continue to be the principal partner of England Hockey and Great Britain Hockey’s women’s teams through to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after signing a four-year extension to their sponsorship agreement today.

Netherlands ©Getty ImagesFollowing Britain’s bronze at London 2012, clinched thanks to a 3-1 victory over New

Zealand, England’s women went on to win last year’s EuroHockey Championships, held at the Lee Valley

June 18 to 26.The Netherlands will join the hosts, World League winners Argentina, the United States, New

Zealand and Argentina at the six-team round-robin competition.

As the second reading of the Bill to provide an English National Anthem looms in the House of Commons – March 4, last chance to post your Mother’s Day card if you’d forgotten – the indications are that the suggestion of Chesterfield MP Toby Perkins will be taken up.

English variant to the all-encompassing God Save The Queen at 2/1, with No at 4/11.Should the proposed new

at past Games, but switched to Jerusalem for Delhi 2010 and Glasgow 2014.The Sex Pistols produced a new

is at 10000/1.A similar debate is bubbling away Down Under, as New Zealand considers changing both its

has been described by the country’s Labour leader Andrew Little as “a dirge”.Coincidentally, it was New

Zealand which provoked the first singing of a national anthem before a sporting contest.

Russia’s Daria Shmeleva and Anastasiia Voinova avenged their women’s team sprint final defeat last year by claiming a dramatic gold medal ahead of China’s Gong Jinjie and Zhong Tianshi on the opening day of the International Cycling Union (UCI) Track World Championships here today.

2014, got the better of Australia’s Anna Meares and Stephanie Morton by finishing in a time of 32.740.New

Zealand claimed men's team sprint gold after settling for silver in 2015 ©Getty ImagesWith the top four

and Virginie Cueff placed seventh.The drama in the women’s team sprint final would have provided New

Italian team who broke a 20-year-old national record to qualify fourth fastest.Australia will meet rivals New

Zealand in the second semi-final tomorrow.

Kyah Simon’s first-half hat-trick helped guide Australia to their second consecutive victory at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament as they hammered Vietnam 9-0 at the Nagai Stadium in Osaka today.

three Games and last year's World Cup winners.Also qualified are Canada, Colombia, France, Germany, New

Zealand, South Africa and Zimbabwe.Action has also begun at the European Women's Qualifier in The Netherlands.A

Riders will face one last test ahead of this year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro when the International Cycling Union (UCI) Track World Championships opens at the Lee Valley Velopark Velodrome in London tomorrow.

recovery from a back surgery, in the team pursuit as they take on the likes of defending champions New

Zealand and old rivals Australia. 

Malaysia, and Joachim Eilers of Germany, are all potential victors in the keirin.The 2015 winners France, New

Zealand, Germany, Australia and Britain will battle it out in the team sprint.The men's and women's

Australian women’s coach Alen Stajcic is considering handing a debut to 15-year-old Ellie Carpenter for his side’s clash with Vietnam at the Asian Football Confederation Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Osaka tomorrow.

stage.Sharon Wass is the youngest player to play for Australia having earned her first cap during a clash with New

Zealand in 1981 aged 14 years and 240 days.Stajcic, a former semi-professional footballer and guided

The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has paid tribute to weightlifter George Newton, who has passed

Newton initially represented England and Great Britain during his career before switching to New Zealand

Zealand, four years later.The Guyanese born lifter also competed at the 1964 and 1972 Olympic Games.

He stood out to New Zealanders even when competing for England as he took the gold medal at the hugely

He then chose this far off nation in the South Pacific as his new home and represented us with honour

Fellow gold medal winning New Zealand weightlifter Tony Ebert said the athlete had an "incredible" physique

New Zealand’s Kathleen Cross and Claire Polosak of Australia are due to become the first women to officiate

March 18, Polosak will join India’s Vineet Kulkarni in taking charge of the women’s match between New

Zealand and Ireland.The full list of referees includes Johan Cloete, Aleem Dar, Kumar Dharmasena, Marais

Cuba have withdrawn from the women's water polo Olympic qualification tournament in The Netherlands as five players and a coach have defected from the country.

tournament in Gouda, will be replaced in the group by Germany who will now lock horns with France, Italy, New

Zealand, Russia and hosts The Netherlands.Cuba were due to compete in Group B ©Getty ImagesThe country

This is not a new problem for Cuba as members of its men's football team defected to the United States

Eight Olympic spots at Rio 2016 will be up for grabs during the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) Oceania Qualification Tournament in Port Moresby tomorrow.

weight categories - with four men and four women set to earn quota places for their countries in Papua New

year-old, a World Championship gold medallist in Puebla in 2013, will be joined in the weight division by New

Zealand's Rhiannon O'Neal.Vaughn Scott will look to earn a place for New Zealand ©Getty ImagesIn the

men's competition, New Zealand's Vaughn Scott, a London 2012 Olympian, will compete at under 80kg ad

France's Camille Lecointre enjoyed a dream birthday as she and Helene Defrance maintained their overall lead on a day of change at the 470 World Championships in San Isidro.

States now lie in third place on 32 points, while reigning Olympic champions Jo Aleh and Polly Powrie of New

Zealand rose four places up the leaderboard to fifth.They lie on 43 points, seven behind defending world

fell to seventh overall by the close, with Jim and Hudson ninth.Paul Snow-Hansen and Daniel Willcox of New

Zealand moved into the lead on 37 points after two victories, two clear of Croatian rivals Sime Fantela